Bag with cooler compartment and uses thereof

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a bag with a cooler compartment that can store perishable food or medicinal items with generous storage compartments in the interior and on the exterior front, back and sides of the bag. The cooler compartment is lined with thermal plastic lining to maintain cool temperature and is easily washable to clean up after spills. The cooler compartment is flexible and can be increased in size to accommodate larger items. Security features have been added to the bag, so that valuables can be carried safely in the padded exterior back compartments. All exterior and interior compartments feature quick access and ease of use through the use of double-headed zippers, which allow opening of the compartments in either direction. The bag can be worn on the back and is secured there by two padded shoulder straps, which individually have a hook for keys and a mesh pocket for a cell phone for added convenience. 
     Another embodiment of the bag with a cooler compartment is smaller in size and has an adjustable shoulder strap for easier carrying. The cooler compartment is lined with washable thermal plastic lining. The cooler compartment is flexible and can be increased in size to accommodate larger items. Four exterior compartments are provided, of which one is a mesh pocket and three are zippered compartments. The interior compartment is zippered and has two additional storage compartments to further organize the interior area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus useful for carrying items. More specifically, the present invention relates to a bag with a cooler for storing perishable food items and other supplies. A second embodiment discloses a compact bag with a cooler that can be worn like a purse and can store perishables, and other supplies.

2. Background of the Invention

Storage cases for carrying and storing supplies are well known. Bags are perhaps the most common of such an apparatus. Coolers are commonly used to store food and beverage items, which must be kept at a low temperature to prevent spoilage. Such coolers do not readily accommodate the storage of a large variety of non-food items.

Portable coolers of various shapes and sizes have long been available. These coolers can be formed of polyurethane foam materials, or hard synthetic resin materials which are thermally insulated. As any experienced picnicker or hiker will attest, the weight of a filled medium to large size cooler can be considerable. Thus, these coolers are not only unwieldy but the weight thereof precludes easy transport.

It has also been known in the past to provide coolers of flexible design, which are typically of relatively small size and adapted to be hand carried. While these coolers ameliorate the weight problem, the small size thereof detracts from their usefulness.

It would therefore be desirable to provide a single apparatus, which would provide for the transportation and storage of supplies, perishable food and beverage items and which could also be used as a booster seat. In the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,557 (Mahvi et al) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,450 (Mahvi et al) provide such an apparatus, which includes an auxiliary bag that may be used separately from the bag section. While this invention is useful it contains several items not useful or required for use. Thus these inventions do not provide the appropriate amount of cooling function and storage space needed.

Thus, the prior art is deficient in bags that function with ease of use, with a built-in cooler and have another embodiment as a bag that is smaller, convenient to use and with a built-in cooler. The present invention fulfills this longstanding need and desire in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a convenient and useful bag with many compartments for easy storage with a built-in cooler.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a bag with an interior and has a cooler built-in.

In a different embodiment, the present invention provides a bag having three compartments in the front, two compartments in the back of the backpack, and a large area in the interior. The front lower compartment of the bag is a cooler compartment with zippers that can open the compartment in either direction. The cooler compartment is lined with thermal plastic for keeping perishables cool and provides ease of cleaning in case of spills. The cooler compartment can be adjusted to provide for more or less space within this compartment so that all food items or other perishables can be handily stored and readily accessed.

The front middle compartment of the backpack is smaller and can be used to store baby items such as eating utensils, straws, bibs, pacifiers, wet wipes, and other infant care supplies. The front top compartment of the backpack is convenient to use for the storing the smallest items such as diaper pins, KLEENEX®, baby rattle, teething pain medicine, pens, pencils, or hand sanitizer.

The bag has two back compartments, which are padded with foam for comfort of use and have double-headed zippers that can open the compartments in either direction. These compartments are located in the portion of the backpack placed next to the user's back, so they can be used to safely store important personal items. This location preferably prevents someone from accessing the compartments without the user's knowledge. The back bottom compartment is the larger and can be used to store items such as a wallet, coin purse, a clutch purse. This bottom compartment can be accessed by the user without having to take off the backpack or remove the backpack straps from the shoulder. The bag has two mesh side pockets on the exterior of the bag. The mesh material allows easy viewing of the pocket contents and the pocket structure allows effortless access. These pockets can be used to store wet wipes, napkins, a changing pad, diapers, and baby hand towels.

The present invention of the bag has two padded straps for the back that contribute to physical ease and comfort. One strap has a hook to attach keys, and the other strap contains a mesh pocket that can be used to store a cell phone, or IPOD® nano. The present invention has a large interior compartment. There are two large mesh pockets located on the top area of both sides of the bag's interior. These can be used to store a larger supply of diapers, baby wipes, or a changing pad. These pockets are placed near the top of the bag for quick and efficient access to items when in a hurry to care for the infant's needs. Additionally, there are spacious pockets sown into the bottom of each side of the backpack's interior that can be used to store items in the upright position, such as baby lotions, baby powder, diaper rash cream, or medicines. These pockets provide stable storage, which prevent spilling and ruining other items stored in the roomy compartment. The roomy interior of the backpack is wide enough to easily store several clothing changes for baby as well as storage of blankets, towels, bedding, toys, and other larger articles for care of the infant. All the compartments of the backpack inside and outside are easily accessible and allow storage and quick retrieval of needed items, without the delay and frustration of futile searching.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the bag with a cooler can be used as a diaper bag, school bag, work bag, computer bag, or a combination thereof. As is well known by a person having ordinary skill in this art, the bag of the present invention may be composed of any material although fabrics and leather are preferred.

A different embodiment of the present invention is a bag that is compact, and provides a cooler feature to store perishable food, drink, or medicinal items.

A different embodiment of the present invention is a bag with three compartments located in the front exterior of the bag and provide quick access for storage and retrieval of items and perishable items. These front exterior compartments are located side by side with a cooler compartment in the middle compartment. The cooler compartment has a thermal plastic lining for proper temperature storage of perishable items and for easy cleaning, in case of spills. The cooler compartment is flexible in size that can be increased to store larger items or quantities of things, which may require maintenance at a cooler temperature. The two exterior front pockets beside the cooler compartmentare large enough to handily store items needed such as tissues, towelettes, or containers.

There are two mesh pockets located one per side of the exterior of the bag. The mesh material provides ready viewing of the pocket contents and is flexible and strong enough to hold large quantities of needed supplies. The back exterior of the bag has a lengthwise pocket that can be used for storage of longer items such as towels or a book. The interior of the bag is accessed by a double-headed zipper, which expediently allows opening in either direction. The organization of the bag's interior is flexible in that it can be used as three separate compartments or as one large sized compartment. The interior can be used to store larger items to suit the user's needs such as a blanket, towels, wipe cloths, toys, and extra clothes. The back wall of the interior of the bag contains a pocket, which may be used for important articles such as cell phone and wallet. The exterior cooler compartment may be fully extended into the interior back wall of the bag to increase the cooler compartment size. The present invention provides an adjustable shoulder strap so that maximum comfort can be made available.

These, as well as other future advantages will be more apparent from the following description and drawings. It is understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1D depict the bag with a cooler of the present invention.

FIG. 1A shows the front exterior three compartments. FIG. 1B shows the exterior side mesh pockets. FIG. 1C shows the exterior back two compartments with padded shoulder straps. FIG. 1D shows the interior compartment with two upright storage compartments and two upper mesh pockets.

FIGS. 2A-2D depict the smaller bag with a cooler compartment. FIG. 2A shows the front exterior with the three compartments side by side. FIG. 2B shows the exterior side mesh pocket and the adjustable shoulder strap with eyelets and buckle. FIG. 2C shows the exterior back lengthwise compartment that is closed with a zipper. FIG. 2D shows the bag interior with a view of the interior section of the exterior cooler compartment and two additional interior pockets for organized storage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention is a bag with a cooler. FIGS. 1A-1D shows the exterior views of the front, side, back and the interior view of the present invention. FIG. 1A shows the exterior bottom cooler compartment 100 with double-headed zipper 110. The cooler compartment is lined with thermal plastic for keeping perishables cool and ease of cleaning, in case of spills. The cooler compartment 100 can be adjusted to provide for more or less space so that all bottles, food items, or medicines, can be handily stored and readily accessed. The exterior front middle compartment 120 with a double-headed zipper 130 is provided to store items such as eating utensils, straws, bibs, pacifiers, wet wipes, and other supplies. The front top compartment 140 with double-headed zipper 150 is provided to conveniently store smaller items such as diaper pins, KLEENEX®, pens, pencils, or a hand sanitizer. The interior of the bag is accessed through the top of the bag using double-headed zippers 160 so the bag's interior can be unzipped in either direction.

FIG. 1B shows the exterior side view of the bag with cooler compartment. The exterior side mesh pockets 200 are roomy and can extend outward to store bulky items. The mesh material allows easy viewing of the pocket contents and the pocket structure allows effortless access. These pockets 200 can be used to store wet wipes, napkins, and hand towels. An exterior side view of the top zipper to open the bag interior 160 is shown. The shoulder straps 210 are comprised of two padded straps for the back that contribute to physical ease and comfort. One strap handily has a hook to attach keys, and the other strap contains a mesh pocket that can be used to store a cell phone, or IPOD® nano.

FIG. 1C shows the exterior back view of the bag. The exterior back two compartments 300 and 320 are padded with foam for comfort of use and have double-headed zippers 310, 330 that can open the compartments in either direction. These compartments 300, 320 are located in the exterior portion of the bag placed next to the user's back, thus they can be used to store important personal items. This location prevents someone from accessing the compartments without the user's knowledge. The exterior bottom compartment 300 is larger and can be used to store items such as a wallet, coin purse, a clutch purse. This exterior bottom compartment 300 can be accessed by the user without having to take off the bag or remove the bag's straps from the shoulder. The bag also provides a handy loop 340 to quickly grab and transport the bag when in a hurry.

FIG. 1D shows the interior compartment of the bag with cooler 400. There are two large mesh pockets 410, 420 located in the top area of both sides of the bag's interior. These can be used to store a larger supply of necessary items. These pockets are placed near the top of the interior of the bag for quick and efficient access to these items when in a hurry. Additionally, there are spacious pockets 430, 440 available in the bottom of each side of the bag's interior that can be used to store items in the upright position, such as lotions, or medicines. These pockets 430, 440 provide stable storage, which prevent spilling and ruining other items stored in the roomy interior compartment 400. The interior 400 of the bag is wide enough to easily store several clothing changes as well as storage of other larger articles. All the exterior and interior compartments of the bag are easily accessible and allow storage and quick retrieval of needed items, without the delay and frustration of futile searching.

A different embodiment of the present invention is a smaller bag with a cooler. FIGS. 2A-2D shows the exterior front, side, and back views and interior views of the of the present invention. FIG. 2A shows the exterior front view of the bag. The bag has three exterior compartments in the front that provide quick access for storage and retrieval of needed items. The three exterior front compartments 500, 510, and 520 represent the left to right front compartments, respectively. The middle compartment 510 is the cooler compartment and provides the bag with the feature of being able to store perishable food, drink, or medicinal items. The cooler compartment 510 has a thermal plastic lining for proper temperature storage of perishable items and for easy cleaning, in case of spills. The cooler compartment 510 is flexible in size in that can be increased to store larger items or quantities of things, which may require maintenance at a cooler temperature. The two exterior front side pockets 500, 520 are large enough to handily store many items needed such as tissues, towelettes, or lotions.

FIG. 2B shows the exterior side view of this embodiment. The exterior side view of the bag has a mesh pocket located on one per side of the bag. The exterior side mesh pocket 600 is shown. The mesh material provides ready viewing of the pocket contents and is flexible and strong enough to hold large quantities of needed supplies. The adjustable shoulder strap 610 is shown with eyelet holes and buckle to increase or decrease the strap length. Additionally, a strap loop 620 is provided to keep the excess shoulder strap length flat against the diaper bag.

FIG. 2C shows the exterior back view of the bag. The exterior back compartment of the bag is a lengthwise pocket 700 that can be closed with a zipper 710 and used for additional storage if needed. An exterior side view of the adjustable shoulder strap 610 is provided. The double headed-zipper 720 allows access to the bag's interior and is shown.

FIG. 2D shows the interior of the bag with a cooler compartment. The organization of the bag's interior is flexible in that it can be used as three separate compartments 510, 800, and 810 or as one larger compartment 800. The interior can be used to store larger items to suit the user's needs such as a blanket, towels, or extra clothes. The interior back wall of the bag contains a pocket 810, which may be used for important articles such as cell phone and wallet. The cooler compartment 510 may be attached to the back wall of the bag for full extension of this compartment.

As used herein, the term, “a” or “an” may mean one or more. As used herein in the claim(s), when used in conjunction with the word “comprising”, the words “a” or “an” may mean one or more than one. As used herein “another” or “other” may mean at least a second or more of the same or different claim element or components thereof.

Any patents or publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Further, these patents and publications are incorporated by reference herein to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. 

1. A bag comprising: at least one exterior storage compartment having at least one opening and wherein said exterior storage compartment is comprised of a cooler compartment; and an interior compartment.
 2. The bag of claim 1, wherein said cooler compartment is comprised of thermal plastic lining.
 3. The bag of claim 2, wherein said thermal plastic lining is comprised of a material that maintains a cool temperature and is washable.
 4. The bag of claim 2, wherein said cooler compartment is adjustable in size.
 5. The bag of claim 1, wherein said exterior compartment is comprised of a double-headed zipper on said compartment.
 6. The bag of claim 1, wherein said exterior compartment is comprised of at least one mesh pocket.
 7. The bag of claim 1, wherein said exterior compartment is comprised of a padded compartment.
 8. The bag of claim 7, wherein said padded exterior compartment is comprised of foam or other pliable material.
 9. The bag of claim 1, wherein said bag is comprised of at least one padded shoulder strap.
 10. The bag of claim 9, wherein said padded shoulder strap is comprised of a hook or a mesh pocket.
 11. The bag of claim 1, wherein said interior compartment is comprised of at least one mesh side pocket.
 12. A bag having at least one opening comprising: three exterior front storage compartments with double-headed zippers, wherein one said exterior storage compartment is comprised of a cooler compartment, and wherein said cooler compartment is adjustable in size and is lined with washable thermal material; two exterior rear storage compartments with double-headed zippers, and wherein said rear exterior storage compartments are padded; two exterior side pockets, and wherein said side pockets are comprised of mesh material; a pair of shoulder straps with terminal clips, and wherein said pair of shoulder straps is comprised of padded material with a hook and a mesh pocket; and an interior compartment comprised of four interior pockets, and wherein at least one of said interior pockets is comprised of mesh material.
 13. The bag of claim 12, wherein said bag may be used for storage and transportation of items consisting of infant care supplies, school supplies, work supplies, and computer supplies.
 14. A bag having at least one opening comprising: three exterior front storage compartments with zippers, wherein one said exterior storage compartment is comprised of a cooler compartment, and wherein said cooler compartment is adjustable in size, is lined with washable thermal material, and is a middle compartment; one exterior rear storage compartment with a zipper; one exterior side pocket, and wherein said side pocket is comprised of mesh material; one shoulder strap, and wherein said shoulder strap is comprised of eyelets, a buckle, a strap loop, and is adjustable in length; and an interior compartment comprising a double-headed zipper to close interior compartment and two interior pockets.
 15. The bag of claim 14, wherein said bag may be used for storage and transportation of items consisting of infant care supplies, school supplies, or work supplies. 